190 Huntly Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An asymmetrical two-storey two-bay house erected c.1840; rectangular plan form, extended to the right to form shop and post office (HB17/02/003A) and rear return on an inclined site. Located on a sharp bend adjacent to the junction with Lurgan Road; approximately 1.5 miles north of Banbridge.

Pitched to left side, shallow hip to right natural slate roof with clay ridge tiles and leaded hips; brick chimneys; uPVC replacement rainwater goods. Red-brick walling laid to Flemish bond. 2/2 timber sliding sash windows horizontal glazing bars; with horns; painted masonry cills; 1 ½ brick flat arch heads. Six-panelled timber door with rectangular over-light flanked by pilasters rising to moulded brackets supporting a canopy; 4 stone steps, steel handrail.

The principal elevation faces east and is asymmetrically arranged. The front door is located in the right bay with a single window to the left. Two first floor windows directly over. Brick infill to basement window to left.

The left gable is symmetrically arranged. Two round arched windows to the ground and first floor; abutted by a single storey lean-to corrugated metal shed of no interest.

The rear elevation is asymmetrically arranged, the left bay is abutted by a two storey return with a very shallow pitched roof with new roofing; single window to the south cheek at first floor. Single-storey lean-to extension to the right; modern roofing; timber sheeted porch covering six steps and single picture window to the south cheek.

The right elevation is abutted by the adjoining building (HB17/02/003A)

Setting

The building is positioned directly on bend of a moderately busy road. Red-telephone box “K6” type installed c.1940 adjacent to the front door. Cluster of associated historic buildings to the north and west (HB17/02/003A-J). Some modern housing developments to the south.

Roofing: Natural slate
Walling: Brick
Windows: Timber
RWG: uPVC

Historical information

The building was constructed c.1840 by John Smyth & Co, bleachers and beetlers of Milltown as part of a self-contained industrial settlement called ‘Milltown’ first established in 1820. The house later became the postmaster’s residence and was extended c.1870 to form part of the neighbouring shop on the ground floor and additional living accommodation on the first floor. Until it closed in 2000 the shop and post office had been run by the same family for nearly eighty years and the shop / post office has retained many of the features, internally and externally, of an earlier age.

The first edition OS map of 1833 shows Milltown House, a bleach mill on the Bann and extensive bleach greens surrounding the two structures. The present building is first shown on the second edition of 1860 which shows considerable development of the works and the surrounding area, including the addition of a national school and worker’s housing. The house is square on plan and smaller than today, an extra bay being added c.1870.

Milltown was established in 1820 when John Smyth (1798-1890), the descendant of a linen-trading family, bought a corn mill and surrounding land from the Crawford family and erected an extensive bleaching and finishing works. Beside the bleach works he built Milltown House c1825, reputedly as a wedding present for his fiancé Anna McClelland of Belmont House and John Smyth & Co became, by 1839, the largest bleaching and finishing works on the Bann with an output of 40,000 pieces of cloth per year. Three of John and Anna Smyth’s twelve children later formed the company William Smyth & Co Ltd, a successful firm which went on to employ more than 250 people. (Rankin; Bassett’s Directory; www.bob-sinton.com) The railway line connecting Banbridge with Scarva (1859) and Lisburn (1863), provided a convenient means of transport for the company’s goods and no doubt aided the expansion of the business. In 1857 the Smyths became owners of the Bannville Beetling Mill and by this time had customers from all over the world including the USA, Italy, Russia and Germany. (www.bob-sinton.com)An iron foundry was established in 1876 for the company’s own needs as well as local light engineering work. By 1886 the bleach works and bleach greens covered an area of 220 acres. The works were water powered with steam used as an auxiliary and there were six iron water wheels. (Bassett’s Directory)

Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64) lists the occupier as Samuel Lewis, later William McGowan and the house is valued at £1.5s. This valuation is very low for a house of this size and the valuation record intriguingly notes that the ‘underpart’ of the house was valued with the mill premises. The exact purpose the lower floor was used for is not recorded. The house was extended c.1870 to form part of the neighbouring shop on the ground floor and additional living accommodation on the first floor. From 1905 the house became the postmaster’s residence and eventually became absorbed into the valuation of the post office and shop.

At the time of the 1911 census the postmaster was 26-year-old Richard Wright who was assisted by his brother. A photograph taken of the shop in 1914 shows part of the facade of the house which remains unchanged since that time. The Wright family went on to establish Wright’s Engineering Garage in Dromore Street, Banbridge in 1921. (Young and Quail)

In 1922 the house and shop were occupied by Robert (Roy) J Martin who ran the business with his brother and mother. By the time of the First General Revaluation of the early 1930s the house, shop and post office were included in a single valuation. The whole was revalued at £22.10s, then £24 and accommodation comprised a shop on the corner, branch Post Office in the former house to the side, five bedrooms, two receptions, a kitchen, scullery and pantry with a coal yard at the rear. A plan and dimensions are given showing the shop, post office, house, a small return and the coal. The rent was £36 per annum. Roy Martin was the last post master and held the position for 34 years until the post office closed in 2000. (www.bob-sinton.com; Young and Quail)

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map (c1900)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/48D Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/25A-D Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
7. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/2/9 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/2 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
9. PRONI VAL/3/D 4/3/L/3 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
10. Bassett’s Directory 1886

Secondary Sources

1. Rankin, K “The Linen Houses of the Bann Valley, The story of their families” Belfast, Ulster Historical Foundation, 2007
2. www.bob-sinton.com
3. Young, A F and Quail, D “Old Banbridge” Stenlake Publishing, 2002

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
J. Setting
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-storey two- bay house erected c1840. The earliest building of a group, which has retained its original appearance and character. The simple interiors have also remained largely unaltered. Developed and extended when adopted as the house for the shop and post-office owners from the mid 19th century(HB17/02/003A). Together with the adjacent cluster of buildings (HB17/02/003A-J) the building is of significant historic and local interest as part of a largely unaltered example of a small 19th century development resulting from the local linen industry. Its purpose-built origin is also of note as Milltown is one of only a few planned settlements in Northern Ireland.